Sammy Davis Jr. - GOLDEN BOY

Dale Ricardo Shields Educational Video/Slide Presentation Golden Boy (Broadway) [ http://sammydavisjr.info/stage/musica... ] I do not own the rights to the music and photos presented in this educational slide /video. PHOTOS LEROY NEIMAN ORIGINAL (Boxing) The Golden Boy Copyright 2014 NeimansOnly.com (Photo by Leonard Mccombe/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images) talcollections.nypl.org MUSIC: Golden Boy ℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC Released on: 1964-01-01 Composer: Charles Strouse Author: Lee Adams Opening Date: 20 October 1964 / Closing Date: 5 March 1966 Performances: 569 performances Venue: Majestic Theatre, New York Producer: Hillard Elkins / Director: Arthur Penn Cast: Sammy Davis, Jr., Paula Wayne, Billy Daniels, Ted Beniades, Kenneth Tobey, Roy Glenn, Johnny Brown, Charles Welch, Jeannette DuBois, Louis Gossett, Jaime Rogers. Book: William Gibson and Clifford Odets Music and Lyrics: Charles Strouse and Lee Adams Musical Director: Elliot Lawrence Tryouts: Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia – 25 June to 25 July 1964 Shubert Theatre, Boston – 28 July to 22 August 1964 Fisher Theater, Detroit – 25 August to 29 September 1964 Details "A project which would play a significant role in the life of Sammy Davis, Jr. for seven years was born when producer Hillard Elkins saw Sammy performing at a ‘midnight matinee’ in London at the Prince of Wales Theatre in September 1961. In Sammy’s dressing room after the show, Elkins implored him to return to Broadway (Sammy had starred in Mr. Wonderful in 1956). Elkins suggested he had the right vehicle: Golden Boy, the tremendously successful 1937 stage play written by Clifford Odets. The play was about an Italian-American concert violinist, Joe Bonaparte, who turns to boxing. It had subsequently been made into a film starring William Holden, in his film debut. Featuring a tragic death in the ring, it was a serious work exploring the immigrant experience and the machinations of the boxing world. Sammy was interested. Elkins began a two-year process of bringing his idea to fruition. He met with Odets and obtained not only his permission to adapt the play, but also Odet’s agreement to write the book for the musical adaption himself. Elkins and Sammy envisioned a racial equality angle to replace the immigrant/class themes in the original. Elkins secured the services of composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams (who had impressed with their score for Bye, Bye Birdie) to write the music. Although Sammy had not officially signed on, the two writers followed Sammy around the country testing jingles, songs, and ideas, to see what would work for him. Civil Rights Impact Having a fully integrated company, and running at the height of the civil rights era, Golden Boy had significant cultural resonance. It was the first time in a long time that a Broadway audience had been confronted with real social and political frustration. Its big production number, “Don’t Forget 127th Street” was sarcastic, cynical, and mocked the Broadway trope of poor people being content with their lot, and loving the slum where they live. While the critics might have been happy, not everyone was pleased to see an interracial romance on stage in New York in 1964. The Act II kiss between Lorna and Joe had scandalized audiences during tryouts, and the show received numerous bomb and death threats right from its opening days in Philadelphia until its close on Broadway in March 1966. All the principal people in the production received bodyguard protection. Paula Wayne recalled: “I never expected such hatred. I never expected such vitriolic things would be said to me. But Sammy did. He told me the only way to deal with hatred is not to dignify it. And he always stood by me.” In late March 1965, Sammy was given time off the show to participate in the Selma to Montgomery March, alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. The civil rights leader had already been to watch Golden Boy, and King is said to have been particularly drawn to the big gospel number “No More” (“I ain’t bowin’ down, No more!”). Sammy continued his work fundraising for civil rights causes during Golden Boy’s run, and in April, Hilly Elkins and Sammy produced and hosted a benefit show for King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference called Broadway Answers Selma. Tony Award Nomination In late May 1965, Tony Award Nominations were announced. Golden Boy appeared in four categories, Best Musical, Best Producer (Musical) – Hillard Elkins, Best Choreography – Donald McKayle, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – Sammy Davis, Jr. The Awards ceremony was held at The Astor Hotel on 13th June, but Golden Boy lost in all four categories to the respective nominations from Fiddler on the Roof." EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED